Amsterdam has allocated up to €100,000 to install small wooden staircases along city centre canals to help cats and other animals escape the water. The measure aims to prevent drowning in areas with high walls, following reports that 19 cats have drowned in the city’s canals in the last six months, six of them in the centre.
The proposal was put forward by Judith Krom of the Party for the Animals (PvdD), who suggested using an unused €100,000 fund from the city’s biodiversity plan. Councillor for animal welfare Zita Pels had previously supported the idea but noted that funding was lacking. On 10 July, the Amsterdam City Council voted in favour of the motion.
Krom said: “A simple measure can prevent enormous animal suffering. The adopted motion demonstrates that as a city, we take responsibility for protecting the lives of animals.” The city will work with animal welfare organisation Dierenambulance Amsterdam to identify high-risk locations before installing the steps later this year.
Similar initiatives are underway elsewhere in the Netherlands. In June, the city of Amersfoort announced plans to install around 300 cat traps along its quays and canals this year. Councillor Johnas van Lammeren said: “Unfortunately, animals that end up in water in areas with high quays or quay walls can't get out and drown. Together with the animal ambulance, a research agency, and residents, we've mapped out where cat traps are needed.”
